New Wave Rafting
New Wave Rafting is a family-owned, 1-10 employee whitewater rafting outfitter founded in 1980 in Embudo, NM, offering guided trips ranging from mild scenic floats to Class 4+ rapids on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama for individual recreational rafters, families, and group bookings.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersEmbudo, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What New Wave Rafting does
New Wave Rafting is a privately held, family-owned whitewater rafting outfitter headquartered in Embudo, New Mexico, on the Rio Grande between Santa Fe and Taos. Founded in 1980 and co-owned by Britt Runyon Huggins and Kathy Miller, the company operates guided rafting trips on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama, ranging from mild Class 2 scenic floats (New Wave No Wave, Monument Scenic Float) to challenging Class 4+ wilderness runs (Taos Box), plus half-day and full-day options (Racecourse AM/PM, Rio Grande Gorge, Rio Chama 1-Day). Equipment is provided to guests, including self-bailing rafts for high-water conditions, life jackets, helmets, wetsuits on advanced runs, and complimentary inflatable kayak (Funyak) rentals. The core technology stack is physical — boats, safety gear, and access to protected river corridors including the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the federally designated Wild and Scenic Rio Chama — supplemented by a Guide Training Program that has produced professionally certified guides since 2019.
The business is direct-to-consumer with bookings processed through the TheFlyBook third-party platform and toll-free phone reservations, supported by an organic marketing mix spanning a company blog, social media, email newsletters, and review platforms. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time trip fees, with ancillary streams from gift cards, third-party photo sales via Raftpics.com, and a Film Production Services vertical (active since 1989) that supplies location scouting, on-water camera platforms, and river safety for movie and commercial productions. Customers are predominantly individual recreational rafters and family or group bookings (corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, multi-generational outings), with the company reporting a 75% repeat-customer rate. Operations are seasonal, with the 2026 opening day scheduled for March 18, 2026.
New Wave Rafting firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- New Wave Rafting
- Legal name
- New Wave Rafting Co.
- Website
- https://newwaverafting.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- New Wave Rafting is a family-owned, 1-10 employee whitewater rafting outfitter founded in 1980 in Embudo, NM, offering guided trips ranging from mild scenic floats to Class 4+ rapids on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama for individual recreational rafters, families, and group bookings.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
New Wave Rafting industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Whitewater Rafting & Outdoor Adventure Services
- NAICS
- Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & River Adventures (THAJABAB)
Keywords
Where New Wave Rafting is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Embudo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
New Wave Rafting business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Rafting Trip Sales: One-time trip fees for guided whitewater rafting experiences. Full payment due at booking except for trips purchased more than 2 months prior to departure. Cancellations refunded less service charge if received 7+ days prior.
- Gift Cards: Gift cards available for purchase, allowing recipients to book their own rafting experiences
- Photo Sales: Third-party photo service (Raftpics.com) provides photo sales from river trips for additional revenue
- Film Production Services: River location scouting, on-water camera platforms, river safety services, and equipment transport for movie and commercial productions. Active since 1989.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Rafting Trip |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guide Tip |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
New Wave Rafting product offering
Product offeringCore offering
New Wave Rafting is a guided whitewater rafting outfitter operating on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama in northern New Mexico. It sells family-friendly rafting trips ranging from mild Class 2 scenic floats to challenging Class 4+ wilderness runs, including the flagship Taos Box, with safety equipment, expert guides, and lunch on full-day trips included. Supporting offerings include Funyak inflatable kayak rentals, gift cards, a 7-day Guide Training Program, and film production services for movie and commercial shoots on the rivers.
Product overview
New Wave Rafting operates as a single-location whitewater rafting outfitter offering a portfolio of river trip products on northern New Mexico rivers (Rio Grande and Rio Chama). The core offering consists of guided whitewater rafting trips ranging from mild scenic floats to challenging Class 4+ wilderness runs. The product lineup includes the flagship Taos Box (16-mile wilderness gorge experience), Racecourse AM/PM half-day trips, Rio Grande Gorge full-day trips, New Wave No Wave beginner floats, Monument Scenic Float, Rio Chama day trips, plus optional Funyak (inflatable kayak) rentals. Additional services include Film Production Services for location/scouting support and a Guide Training Program for aspiring raft guides. All trips include equipment, safety gear, and meals on full-day excursions. Booking is managed through TheFlyBook third-party platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Taos Box Rafting Trip Premier 16-mile whitewater run through a vertically-walled wilderness gorge with challenging Class 4+ rapids, located inside the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. Geared toward experienced rafters seeking the most challenging run on the Rio Grande.
- Racecourse AM/PM Rafting Trip Half-day whitewater rafting trips on the Racecourse section of the Rio Grande, offered with both AM and PM departure options.
- Rio Grande Gorge Full-Day Rafting Trip Full-day guided rafting trip through the Rio Grande Gorge, available all summer long, with an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet included.
- New Wave No Wave Float Easy scenic half-day float trip on the Rio Grande suitable for non-swimmers and beginners, with Class 2 difficulty and minimal risk.
- Monument Scenic Float Easy 7-mile full-day scenic float trip through the Orilla Verde Recreation Area within the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, enclosed by 700-foot high basalt cliffs.
- Rio Chama 1-Day Rafting Trip Full-day guided trip on the Rio Chama, a scenic river flowing through multi-hued sandstone cliffs and designated as a Federal Wild and Scenic River.
- Film Production Services B2B service for movie and commercial productions, providing river location scouting, on-water camera platforms, river safety services, and equipment transportation. Active since 1989 with credits on films including 'Lonesome Dove', 'Natural Born Killers', and 'The Magnificent Seven' remake.
- Guide Training Program 7-day intensive training program for aspiring whitewater guides covering paddle raft captaining, rowing oar boats, safety and rescue procedures, and the natural and human history of the river. Free for those intending to work for New Wave Rafting.
- New Wave Rafting Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase through TheFlyBook booking system, allowing recipients to book any New Wave Rafting trip experience.
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% of business comes from return customers and word of mouth
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use New Wave Rafting
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
New Wave Rafting technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
New Wave Rafting partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Raftpics.comminorThird-party photography service that captures photos during river trips. Guests can view and purchase photos from their rafting experience through raftpics.com client gallery.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
New Wave Rafting competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- OARS: Established multi-state whitewater rafting outfitter offering trips across the western U.S., including the Rio Grande. While broader in geography and trip portfolio, it competes for the same destination-rafting tourist and has materially larger marketing and operational scale.
- Holiday River Expeditions: Utah-based multi-state rafting outfitter operating in Colorado, Utah and the broader West. Comparable guided whitewater product model with a much broader river portfolio and established group/corporate sales capabilities, positioning it as a larger incumbent in the same category.
Direct peers
- New Mexico River Adventures: Embudo-based New Mexico rafting outfitter offering guided Rio Grande and Rio Chama trips with similar half-day, full-day and multi-day product structure, directly overlapping New Wave's geographic footprint and customer base.
- Santa Fe Rafting Company: Santa Fe-based outfitter offering guided whitewater and scenic float trips on the Rio Grande, targeting the same tourist entry point into the northern New Mexico rafting market that New Wave serves.
- Far Flung Adventures: Texas-headquartered outfitter with multi-day Rio Grande and Rio Chama trips that compete directly with New Wave's New Mexico river products. Comparable family-friendly to advanced trip range and similar small-business, guide-led operating model.
- Los Rios River Runners: Long-standing New Mexico rafting outfitter operating guided trips on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama out of Taos, serving the same Santa Fe/Taos tourism corridor with comparable beginner-to-expert trip options and a similar seasonal operating model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
New Wave Rafting social profiles
Digital presenceNew Wave Rafting financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
New Wave Rafting leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
New Wave Rafting funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
New Wave Rafting M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about New Wave Rafting
What does New Wave Rafting do?
New Wave Rafting is a guided whitewater rafting outfitter operating on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama in northern New Mexico. It sells family-friendly rafting trips ranging from mild Class 2 scenic floats to challenging Class 4+ wilderness runs, including the flagship Taos Box, with safety equipment, expert guides, and lunch on full-day trips included. Supporting offerings include Funyak inflatable kayak rentals, gift cards, a 7-day Guide Training Program, and film production services for movie and commercial shoots on the rivers.
Is New Wave Rafting a public or private company?
New Wave Rafting is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was New Wave Rafting founded?
New Wave Rafting was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is New Wave Rafting based?
New Wave Rafting is headquartered in Embudo, United States, in the North America region.
How does New Wave Rafting make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Rafting Trip Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Cards, photo Sales and film Production Services.
Who are New Wave Rafting's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are OARS and Holiday River Expeditions. Direct peers are New Mexico River Adventures, Santa Fe Rafting Company, Far Flung Adventures and Los Rios River Runners.
Does New Wave Rafting have an API?
No public API is recorded for New Wave Rafting.
What industry is New Wave Rafting in?
New Wave Rafting's product category is Whitewater Rafting & Outdoor Adventure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJABAB, Whitewater Rafting, Kayaking & River Adventures. Its NAICS code is 487210 and its SIC code is 7990.